The Poets

Clarence Barbee is a multi-talented individual known for his literary achievements. As the author of two distinct works, "Chicken Soup and a Shot of Jack" and his debut poetry book "Fire Molten and Ash," he showcases his versatility and creativity. 

With a background as a spoken word artist, he has mastered the art of weaving words into evocative pieces that resonate with emotions. He was known for traveling the southeastern US under the stage name Nabraska. Currently serving as an educator in the Denver area, Clarence continues to inspire and shape young and old minds. He’s also a pretty great girl Dad!

His passion for writing remains unwavering as he diligently works on new ventures, including upcoming books, short stories, and poetry collections, further solidifying his place in the literary world.

Follow Clarence on IG @authorclarencebarbee and @poet402

Clarence's Works can be found through the following links:

The Poets is 1 year old! Thank you all very much for your ears, and your support.

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Dennis Mulherin appears once more on The Poets to share an excerpt from his upcoming book, "The Face Across the Fire" which he plans to submit for publication. We chat about his process writing the book, challenges and lessons, and the ways poetry informed the process. Dennis has another poetry collection under submission, Table After All, and can be found at open mics in Denver including the Friday night open mic at the Mercury Cafe. Find Dennis' poetry album Days Like Today on Bandcamp and follow him on IG @make_climb_write

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Questions? Comments? Want to be featured? Email [email protected]

Sunshine Salmon joins me to chat about her poetry, "you" and "I" perspectives, alliteration, her journey into van life and the various addresses featured in her work. We also talk about her journey there and back again from Denver, and her upcoming move to Salt Lake City. Sunshine is in the process of creating a collection of poetry to be announced in greater detail at a later date. I tried to include alliteration somewhere in this bio but couldn't find a place it didn't feel forced—if you want to know how a master does it, listen to the work Sunshine shares in this episode.

Follow Sunshine on IG @splendor.solisss

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Questions? Comments? Want to be featured? Email [email protected]

I'm joined by Hamudi, a Palestinian-American poet sharing work about Palestine, the ongoing war and genocide, love, memories, the ocean, death, and much more. Really a wonderful set of poems in this one. We talk about liberation in our lifetime, avoiding apathy, and continuing the conversation and the fight against oppression.

Catch Hamudi before he moves to LA at the upcoming Poets for Palestine event at Saj Fresh Grill this Friday May 31st at 8pm (signup at 7:30, come as early as you can.) Hamudi will also be featuring alongside friend of the show Em Dorman at the Gypsy House Cafe open mic this Thursday at 7pm.

Follow Hamudi on IG @palestinianbrunette and be on the lookout for an upcoming collection of poetry, Tears of the Olive Tree, which we discuss in the episode.

https://decolonizepalestine.com/

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Questions? Comments? Want to be featured? Email [email protected]

From Henrico, Virginia (near Richmond), BG brings a hip-hop flow to spoken word conveying messages of peace, resistance, justice, and eroticism. BG also lived for a time near D.C. (Silver Spring, MD) and in Chicago for 6 years. BG has a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and a Masters degree in Public Administration. BG currently runs a small business and also works at a nonprofit home energy efficiency organization.

You can find more of BG’s work on Soundcloud and Spotify under the name iLL bg as well as at his website.

BG also features regularly at the Mercury Cafe on Fridays in downtown Denver.

We are also joined by Racine Frank at 46:36 in the episode to feature work as part of an ongoing collaboration between BG and Racine.

Poet, photographer, filmmaker, Simon Shah has been a performer on the Denver scene for over two decades.  A former language arts teacher, he currently works as a photojournalist for a national weather station.

Simon has two collections of poetry, “Miasmic as Me” and “The Last Love Letters,” both of which can be found on Amazon.  He is currently working on several exciting sci-fi projects and a collection of poetry, Exquisite Oubliette.

You can also follow his visual work and blog at his website and on IG @shahsome1138

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Questions? Comments? Want to be featured? Email [email protected]

Poet and philosopher Jonathan Jansikok shares and discusses his poems, his process, writing poetry in Paris, his take on our collective future, death, and much more. Jonathan is available to contact via email at [email protected]

Two of the poems Jonathan shares in this feature are set to be published by The Opiate Magazine, and which can be read here and here.

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Forgive the strange sounds during the first few poems. Freya likes to get close to hear the poetry better.

Sofia Marie Race joins the show to chat about Russian literature and poetry, her travels, languages, and the personal nature of her own poetry. We also chat about her work in film and the overlap between movies, cinematography, and poetry.

IG @sofia.marie.race

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Questions? Comments? Want to be featured? Email [email protected]

Q returns, and with him Zahria Sage appears on the show for the first time to share and discuss poetry, her recent arrival in Denver, creating fantasies in the day-to-day, and much more.

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Questions? Comments? Want to be featured? Email [email protected]

https://stillblacksee.bandcamp.com/

Quincy Hull (aka “Q”) has been writing poetry for over 30 years, and has been a member of the Still Black See Writers’ and Artists’ Guild for over 20 years. He has traveled extensively, reading and speaking at venues across the nation, including colleges from UWF and FSU to the University of Illinois, Loras College (Dubuque, IA), Northwest Missouri State University, and the University of Missouri. He has performed for and with some of the most respected poets in the nation. He has also been featured in several magazines and newspapers, including Pensacola’s own Independent News (IN) and the Pensacola News Journal.

Q moved to Pensacola in 2009 and joined the WFLF in 2010, and has since served a term as Vice-President of that organization. He has even starred in a play entitled “Thru the Eyes of a Child”.

In 2021 Q moved to Denver, Colorado where he quickly became a mainstay in the city’s poetry and arts scene. Q hosts an open mic for music and poetry at the Corner Beet Cafe (1401 Ogden St) every Monday, and he is a rotating host at the Friday night open mic at the legendary Mercury Cafe (2199 California St).

Q has published three poetry books: a compilation project entitled “Tribal Initiations” (2000), “Anarchism” (2001), and “Like Crabs in a Bucket” (2003). He has also produced or co-produced and released five CDs of his work: “Anarchism” (2003); “For Big Mouths and Bad Feet” (2004); and the compilation projects “Truth and Consequences Vols. 1 and 2” (2005, 2006) and “A Son Never Forgets, Ashe” (2015).

Q describes his most important role in life, and his primary source of pride and joy, as being a father to his daughter, Zahria Sage.

Join us on episode 75 of The Poets for a conversation between friends. Talented poets and lovely humans all, Ezra Bram, Faith Diaz, and Racine Frank return to the show to discuss nature, community, art in capitalism, inner knowing, and more.

Racine Frank began writing poetry in December 2019 during her time as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ethiopia. She started by writing haikus and then branched into free verse poetry incorporating rhyming schemes. From an early age, she traveled to and lived in multiple countries with Ethiopia being a time of tremendous growth and transformation. Her writing surrounds the power of love – not only for others, but for oneself. With love being the core of her creative writing, Racine explores other aspects of life that aid in the self-discovery and evolution of individuals. She recently shared with the world her first ever self-published poetry chapbook titled Conversations with Self. She is enthusiastic about creativity, whether that be in the form of dancing, singing, writing, or inspiring others to live life to the fullest.

Follow the link to purchase Racine’s book, Conversations with Self.

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Faith Diaz; event host, performer, story teller & writer, originally born in Bronx, NY, has spent most of her life moving from place to place. Her hope is to continue sharing the stories that matter, from people who do even more so. When she is not petting her Corgi, Sunny, she can be found lying in the sunlight, attempting the continued discovery of self, or just eating Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. 

Find Faith on IG @withinlovebloomed2

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Hello dear person! My name is Ezra. I’m an old soul born in Bailey, Colorado where I grew up with one older brother and a single mom. 

I was first introduced to poetry through my mother’s brother, Andrew Medan Karp. After Andrew took his own life in 1977, my grandmother consolidated his journals of writing into a poetry book entitled Winds of Silent Mystery. I read it cover to cover many times when I began entering my own escapade of depression & anxiety. I still find comfort & understanding in Andrew’s words, even though I’ve never met him.

Up until the pandemic, I didn’t realize how deeply generational trauma had impacted my life. When I was forced into solitude, I began confronting the deep shame and confusion I felt about my anxiety and depression. I processed much of my pain through daily walks with my film camera and the guidance of Andrew’s writing. This season morphed into my book, entitled Walking from Home, that combines my photos and Andrew’s poetry. This time also inspired the creation of what I call “Therapeutic Portraits” where I aim to provide a safe contemplative space for people to see more of themselves with grace, dignity, and love. You can read more about both these projects on my website. 

My interest in mental health has now lead me to graduate school where I am currently studying to become a licensed clinical counselor. I am passionate about destigmatizing conversations around mental health, suicide, and depression, because no one deserves to suffer alone. 

Funneling my experiences into words has helped me to process how paralyzing pain can be and how miraculously love can heal. My hope is that my photography and my writing can offer some comfort as you navigate your own journey of life, from pain to wonder. Remember dear person, you are not alone and you are loved, always and again. 

Mad love, 

Ezra  

Find more about Ezra and his work at his website, whathappenedezra.com and also on IG @what_happened_ezra

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Questions? Comments? Want to be featured? Email [email protected]